Apparatus for making retractile cords



Dec. 25, 1945. v. s. MARTIN 2,391,433

APPARATUS FOR MAKiNG RETRAIICTILE CORDS Filed March 10, 1944 ENTO R. 2/ l/ 5. ART/N A U'O NH and g 1 V 2,391,433 APPARATUS FOR MAKING RETRACTILE UNITED "STATES PAT N OFFICE corms,

Victor S. Martin, Towson, Md., assignor' to WesternElectric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York I a ucatitnmmh 10, 1944, Serial No. 525 ,959 I 6 Claims. CI. 87-31) This invention relates to apparatus for making retractile cords and more particularly to apparatus for feeding such cords along an axial takeup capstan.

One method of manufacturing retractilecords is disclosed in Patent Number 2,281,542, granted May 5, 1942. In manufacturing retractile cords in accordance with the teachings of that patent, the cords are wound upon an axial take-up capstan and are slid along the capstan as they are formed. In order for such a capstan to function most effectively, the coils of the cords wound around the capstan should be in close frictional contact therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for making retractile cords.

One embodiment of the invention comprises an axial take-up capstan for withdrawing braided conductors from a braiding machine and a belt which is advanced past the capstan at a point sufiiciently close thereto to engage a cord passing over the capstan and to force the cord into close contact with the capstan, said belt being advanced at a linear speed greater than that of the cord being withdrawn by the capstan.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description of (Fig. 1) keyed thereto. The arm 28 is rigidly secured to the rod and the frame 30 is rigidly secured to the rod '10 and to a horizontal'rod 3| secured to the rod 10. The gear 32 meshes with a gear 35 keyed to the capstan ll, whereby the shaft 26 is rotated when the braider is oper-- ing 29., The positions. of the guide pulleys 38 and 39 are such. that the belt 31 contacts substantially half of the peripheries of those of the a specific embodiment of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the apparatus.

Referring specifically to the drawing, a rod Ill (Fig. 1), forming a part of the frame of the type of braider shown in the aforementioned Patent 2,281,542, supports arms II and i2 having formed therein apertures l 5 and i6, respectively, in which apertures an elongatedcapstan I1 is rotatably mounted. The capstan I! is rotated by means of a sprocket 19 secured thereto and a chain 20 driven by the driving means (not shown) of the braider. A fixed cam 2| secured to the arm 12 serves to force the coils 22 of a braided cord 25 to the left along the capstan IT, as viewed in Fig. 1. All the above described parts of the apparatus are known in the retractile cord making art.

A shaft 26 (Fig. 1) rotatably mounted in, a

' bearing 21 formed on an arm 28 and in 'a bearing 29 formed on a frame 30 (Fig. 2) has a gear 32 coils 22-22 of the cord 25 (Fig. 2) which it engages and presses the coils firmly against the capstan 11 as the coils are formed thereon. The belt 31 is driven by the pulley 36 at a linear rate of speedsubstantially greater than that of the periphery of the capstan 11, whereby the outer peripheries of the coils 22-22 are not retarded by the belt 31.

In the operation of this embodiment of the invention, a plurality of textile strands 45-45 are braided by the braider around a plurality of insulated conductors 46-46 to form a braid 41 thereover. The cord 25 .is drawn upon the capstan 11 by the rotation thereof, and the cam 21 forces the cord 25 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3. As a result, th cord 25 is formed into the helical coils 22-22. The coils 22-22 are forced into close frictional contact with the capstan by the belt 31. Since the belt 31 holds the coils 22-22 tightly against the capstan l1, friction is generated between the coils 22-22 and the capstan and between the coils 22-22 and the belt 31, whereby the coils will be rotated by the capstan l1 and the belt 31 and pushed along the periphery thereof by the cm 2 I.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for making retractile cords, an axial take-up capstan, means for rotating the capstan to coil'a cord thereon, a belt for pressing a covered cord coiled on the capstan against the capstan, and a system of pulleys for mounting the belt adjacent to the capstan.

2. In an apparatus for making retractile cords, an axial'take-up capstan, means for rotating the capstan to coil 2. covered cord upon the capstan,

cord tightly againstthe capstan, and means for driving the belt.

3. In an apparatus for making retractile cords including a cord covering machine, an axial takeup capstan, means for rotating the capstan to coil a cord upon the capstan, a belt, a plurality of pulleys for pressing the belt against a cord coiled on said capstan to hold the cord tightly against the capstan, and means for rotating one of said pulleys to drive the belt at a linear rate of speed as great as that of the cord being coiled on the capstan.

4. In an apparatus for making retractile cords including a braider, a capstan for withdrawing a cord from the braider and helically coiling the cord thereon, a belt, a system of pulleys forholding the belt against a substantial portion of the coils of a cord coiled upon the capstan, and means for driving the belt at a rate of speed as great as that of the cord and in the direction of rotation of the capstan.

5, In an apparatus or making retractile cords including a braider, a capstan for Withdrawing a cord from the braider and forming the cord into a uniform helix thereon, means for rotating the capstan, three pulleys mounted in triangular relationship and parallel with the capstan, said capstan passing between the three pulleys, a belt mounted on the pulleys for pressing against the capstan substantially half of the peripheries of the convolutions of a cord wound on the capstan, and means for rotating one of the pulleys to drive the belt.

6. In an apparatus for making retractile cords, an axial take-up capstan, means for rotating the capstan to coil a cord thereon in the form of a continuous aligned helix, means for pushing alon the capstan a cord being coiled thereon, an endless belt, means ior mounting the belt in engagement with the coils of the cord, and means for moving the belt in the direction of rotation of the capstan, whereby the belt presses the coils of the cord against the capstan and advances the 20 coils with the rotating capstan.

VICTOR S. MARTIN. 

